None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Sleep is a physiological requirement which impacts the function of every cell, tissue and organ. Sleep is also pivotal in maintaining psychological wellbeing. Poor sleep quality and reduced sleep quantity have tangible effects on mental and physical wellbeing. Sleep complaints are prevalent amongst caregivers of people living with dementia and have been associated with increased risk of institutionalisation of the person they are caring for, an increased sense of burden and poorer psychological health. This study will be an acceptability and feasibility project which will support the development and implementation of a sleep program for caregivers of people living with dementia. The project aims to develop an intervention which will help equip caregivers with the knowledge and skills to improve their sleep. The sleep intervention will be delivered once a week for four weeks, with sleep and psychological wellbeing being assessed before and after the intervention. We hypothesize that the sleep intervention will improve carers sleep, reduce stress, anxiety and burden, and improve their overall psychological wellbeing. Sleep interventions are an easily implementable, cost-effective means of maintaining and improving caregivers physical and mental wellbeing. By ensuring we optimise the health of the caregiver, we allow them to thrive in their caregiving capacity which has a positive impact on both the caregiver and the person living with dementia.
Interventions
This project aims to develop and implement a tailored sleep hygiene education program for caregivers of community dwelling people living with dementia (PLWD). Prior to delivery of the pilot intervention, this stage of the project will assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention to caregivers of people living with dementia.
Potential participants will be provided with a Patient Information Statement, a flyer detailing the sleep program, and a consent form. Participants will be p
This project aims to develop and implement a tailored sleep hygiene education program for caregivers of community dwelling people living with dementia (PLWD). Prior to delivery of the pilot intervention, this stage of the project will assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention to caregivers of people living with dementia. Potential participants will be provided with a Patient Information Statement, a flyer detailing the sleep program, and a consent form. Participants will be provided with an actigraph that records sleep, and a sleep diary one week prior to the intervention. CBT-I materials will be provided by ECU Psychological Services Centre. The “Sleeping Better” program has run for the last 4 years at the Edith Cowan University (ECU) Psychological Services Centre. The mode of delivery is face to face in 4 x 2-hour sessions, once a week for 4 weeks. Sessions will be conducted in groups of 6-8 persons; however, the same program will be delivered to all participants by the same person. Weekly sessions cover: (1) sleep education (2) sleep hygiene (3) strategies for worrying and intrusive thoughts and; (4) relaxation techniques. The program will be delivered by ECU clinical psychology students as part of their clinical placement at the ECU Psychological Services Centre, under the supervision of an experienced Clinical Psychologist who will also work with the Principal investigator to incorporate content relevant to carers of PLWD into their existing sleep intervention program. The intervention will be delivered at the ECU Psychological Services Centre in Wanneroo, Western Australia. Feasibility will be determined by the number of participants expressing an interest to enroll and the drop out/non-attendance rate (feasibility of recruitment and retention). Feasibility of measurement tools will also be assessed in regards to time taken to fill out tools, missing data and completion of post-intervention follow up questionnaires. Acceptability of adherence and coherence to the intervention will be assessed by evaluating number of sessions attended and sleep log completion. A post intervention focus group will also determine acceptability of the intervention where participants will be asked to discuss the burden and barriers of attending, their adherence to the program and their satisfaction with the program. Focus group feedback from the initial feasibility study will ensure the program is adapted and delivered in a way which is appropriate, applicable and meaningful to dementia carers. Therefore, modifications to the feasibility stage intervention may be necessary based on the outcome of the feasibility study and focus groups.
Sponsors
Dr Aisling Smyth
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Informal caregivers (i.e. spouse or other family member, or friend who provides more than 8 hours a week of unpaid care) of a community-dwelling person living with dementia; self-identified sleep disturbances
Exclusion criteria
Pre-existing diagnosis of sleep apnea/sleep disordered breathing. Taking sleep medication more than once per week regularly.
Outcome results
None listed